Pearls of Wisdom: Gift Idea for a Very Special Teacher

Teachers and caregivers play an extremely important role in the lives of our children. For various occasions, teachers, parents or administrators often need a special gift of appreciation to honor an outstanding teacher.

When considering possible gift ideas, here's a secret teachers wish you knew. Though appreciated, teachers already have an overabundance of red apple, yellow pencil, and orange bus stuff. It's cute, predictable, and a bit overdone.

If you are looking for something really special, here is an A+ gift idea that will convey sincere heartfelt sentiments. This idea is appropriate for all women and can be tailored to accommodate even the smallest gift budget.

While working as an Assistant Director at a childcare facility, I wanted to do something special for the graduating preschool class' teacher since she had taught the majority of the students since they were toddlers. I came up with this "Pearls of Wisdom" idea.

"Pearls of Wisdom" is actually a two-part gift.

The first part is an actual gift item that has pearls on it or is in someway an item related to pearls. This can be an inexpensive jewelry item, such as a pair of pearl earrings, a pearl bracelet, a pearl necklace, or a pearl pin. If your budget is around $35.00, the genuine Wish Pearl Necklace sets are nice because the teacher gets to discover the color of the pearl and a fortune too. A picture frame with inlaid pearls makes a great practical gift and you can include with it a photo of the entire class. If you know the teacher likes Avon there is also a perfume called Rare Pearls.

For our teacher, I actually found beautiful Christmas letter ornaments. Each letter was about 3 inches tall and was made of pearl beads on shaped wire. A hanging ribbon was attached to each. If the teacher has a short name, 3 - 6 letters will probably work the best, personalize the gift by spelling out her name in pearls. The teacher could display the ornaments in a number of ways including on a wall coat rack hanger, her Christmas tree, or over a classroom bulletin board. I found a neat shabby chic plaque with hanging hooks across the bottom that worked perfectly, and I purchased both the letter ornaments and the plaque at Michael's craft store for under $20.00. There are several online retailers of pearl letters or pearl monograms. If you can't find pearl letter ornaments or think they are a bit pricey, you could buy your own pearl beads and memory wire at a local craft store and make them.

Any item with pearls that you think the gift receiver will like is fine. If your budget does not allow for genuine pearls, do not worry. The pearl item by itself is not the main thought behind the gift. You add sentiment in the second part.

For the second part of the gift, you need to enlist the students' help. This part is best as a surprise so try to do this without the gift recipient's knowledge if you can. Ask each child the following two questions.

"What is a pearl of wisdom? If you could give a pearl of wisdom to your teacher, what would it be?"

Write down each child's name and exactly what the child said. I did this with a preschool class and the answers were so funny and cute because some of the children did not exactly understand the question.

Since I chose pearl ornaments and a hanger plaque, in addition to the children's answers, I also had each child paint a thumbprint on the back of the hanger and write his or her name. I have found, particularly when working with young children, teachers are like parents in that they love thumbprints and handprints. This also makes the gift something the children helped create and children get more excited when their teacher receives the gift too.

Type all the children's answers in a letter to the teacher and present the letter to her with the gift. This makes a wonderful presentation idea as well.

I have shared my example below in its entirety because I feel this truly made the best gift ever. The teacher so greatly appreciated this, and the preschool answers are simply too cute for words. (Names have been omitted for privacy.)

When we think of a "Pearl of Wisdom," the pearl represents the spirit and the essence of who we are. Like a pearl within an oyster, we are built upon layers and layers of life experiences, which form and shape our lives. Children are the tiny pearls, just beginning to experience their own layers, many of which they build upon in their simple and everyday activities. A teacher's role is an important one, as a teacher must always strive to protect and care for each and every oyster. A teacher recognizes the vast potential within each small shell, which with nurture, love, and guidance, will one day form an elegant pearl.

In honor of all (teacher's name) has shared throughout the year, today, the children would like to share a few "Pearls of Wisdom" with her.

The children were each asked: "If you could give (teacher's name) a thank you present, or a "Pearl of Wisdom" what would you give her?

A few of the children, who weren't exactly sure what a pearl was, explained what a "Pearl of Wisdom" meant to them.

"I'd give her sunglasses and a motorcycle dirt bike. Maybe a pearl too."

"If she was a little kid and I was a little kid, and if she was my cousin, I would give her a suit for graduation."

"Something that is shiny and white and it's like this big (makes tiny hand motion). I'd give her a pearl."

"I'd give her a dolly because I just want to."

"I'd give her a pearl. A pearl is a circle. I'd wrap it up. I'd wrap it up in a circle."

One child said, he'd give his teacher "a pony." He whispered very very quietly, almost so I couldn't hear, "because I just love her."

"I would give her some dishes so she could put stuff on them and so she could cook with her dishes."

"Maybe I can find one when I get home."

"I'm gonna give her a pearl. Because I like her. Pearl earrings, because I like her so much - I'm done!"

"A pearl is something that goes in your hair so it can make your hair look pretty. I would give (teacher's name) a surprise. A surprise from my house, but I just can't tell ya because then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, now would it?"

"I would give her a cake."

"I would let my mommy do it. She does it all the time."

The last child excitedly wanted to give his teacher a pearl and he knew exactly where to find one for her. He said, "Pearls are little things that those big jumping things, ya know, have on the tip top of their mouths, on the tips tops inside their tongues. That's where the GIANT pearls are found!"

As the familiar saying expresses, some people stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same. That is particularly true of the little people we have the pleasure of working with every day. Besides footprints on our hearts, the graduating fours have a very special plaque for (teacher's name). Their thumbprints and names are on the back of it, and there are three pearl letters that spell (teacher's name) so she can always remember their love and their "Pearls of Wisdom."

The back of the plaque reads:

Symbolic of honesty, integrity, prosperity, and wisdom, pearls represent the best within us. Let this be a daily reminder that you have made a difference in the life of a child.

This gift idea can easily be done with students of all ages because no two children will ever have the same answer. The teacher will also know it is a genuine personal sentiment from each child.

It really isn't the gift that counts. It's the thought. This gift idea shows a sincere amount of thought that will not soon be forgotten. Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but your teacher will be absolutely thrilled with these pearls, if not tearful and speechless too!